Only the brown and the American Black are not endangered among the bear species.

The largest species of bear is the brown bear

A koala bear is not a bear, it is a marsupial

Bears can run up to 40 miles per hour

Bears are able to go seven months without eating during hibernation

Bears are omnivorous.

Bears are know for being smart. They have a built in GPS; memories like elephants; the brain to body ratio is a larger brain than normal

Bears have a deep sense of devotion to family. They will fight to the death in order to save a cub or sibling from danger. Even in the story of The Three Bears they were on a family outting when Goldilocks illegally entered their domicile.

Bears have a deep sense of love and affection. Cubs are known to groan loudly when they lose their mothers. This has been known to go on for weeks.

Three of the senses of the bear (smell, sight and hearing) are excellent. They can smell food, family and foes miles away.

Polar bears can swim for up to 60 miles without a break.

Some species of Asiatic bear build nests in the trees. They are able to hide and even sleep in these “tree huts”

Lewis described his first sighting of a grizzly bear in his journals in the early 1800s.

Famous Bears

Most Americans know the most famous bear of all, Smokey. A family drive into any wooded area and it’s hard to miss his animated smile, hat and warning to be careful about fire. But many don’t know that Smokey was real. He was found as a frightened and singed cub up a tree after a forest fire in New Mexico. Adopted and cared for, he spent his years as one of the most visited animals in the National Zoo in Washington D.C., dying only a few years ago at an advanced age.